In this season, Chris decides that he will finally get some respect and he won't have another year like he did in the seventh grade. He starts off the year by running, and winning, the Class Presidential Election. Unfortunately for Chris, it isn't long before he realizes he now has real powers and the student body start to get mad at him for not fulfilling any of his campaign promises. Consequently, Chris becomes not only the first black Eighth Grade Class President at Corleone Junior High, but also the first Class President to get impeached.
The Second Season is filled with quite a few gems. One of my favorite episodes was "Everybody Hates Dirty Jokes," where Chris stays up late one night and listens to some Red Fox albums. After finding the not-so-clean jokes funny, he decides to repeat them at school. Chris quickly becomes a favorite among his peers (even with the resident bully, Caruso), but like most things in Chris' life, he goes too far and people's opinions turn again. When Chris gets into some George Carlin and recites the "Seven Words You Can't Say On Television" skit, he gets in trouble at school and finds he has to explain himself to his parents. Of course, none of the words are actually said since this is a really good, family-friendly series (fans of Rock might be surprised by the show's tameness).
What is great about this particular episode is, while it is hard to tell which episodes actually come from Chris Rock's life, this one has a real ring of truth in it. Anyone familiar with Rock's work should hear the influences of both Fox and Carlin in it.
This season also introduces Jason Alexander as Chris' new principal who had a nervous breakdown some years back and is now really big into Zen. The Rocks also gain a new tenant in the apartment above their place in Mr. Omar, a funeral home director who spends a lot of time consoling the recent widows. A very notable addition to the series' cast is Whoopi Goldberg as Louise, the Rocks' pushy new neighbor, who has an attractive looking granddaughter.
Of course, there are a ton of reoccurring characters like Chris' family and his teacher, Ms. Morello, who has a somewhat slanted and awkward view of Chris as the only black kid in school.
I have to say, Tyler James Williams, the kid who plays the young Chris Rock, does a great job in his role. While he is generally a good actor, it isn't until he stands in front of a crowd and gives a speech that Williams' ability to mimic Rock's mannerisms really shines. It is obvious that the young actor has gotten some alone time with Rock because he pauses at exactly the right places and puts emphasis on exactly the right words. It is so good that there were times when I would close my eyes and swear it was Rock himself giving the speech.
Of course, the DVD set also has quite a few special features on it. There is insight into Ms. Morello's and Caruso's various brands of racism, a look at the show's wardrobe and a tour of the school. There is also a very funny gag reel and a nice peek into the daily life of Tyler James Williams. All enjoyable stuff.
Everybody Hates Chris is just an all around good show that is great for families and gives a bit of insight into Brooklyn in the 1980's. This season has a lot of great episodes, and even if you didn't see the first season, all you need is a general idea of the show's premise to enjoy it.
